Zeta Lambda
| Zeta Lambda | |
|---|---|
| ZΛ | |
 | |
| Founded | April 7, 1984 |
| College | Washington and Jefferson College |
| Location | Washington, PA |
| Homepage | Zeta Lambda Homepage |
| Media related to Zeta Lambda Chapter | |
Washington & Jefferson College established in 1781 in Washington, Pennsylvania
Zeta Lambda founded April 7, 1984 - 35 charter members
721 initiates (as of June 2016)
Some of Chapter’s Outstanding Members: (If you have chapter alumna who have received recognition in any of these three categories, please list them with the date(s) of recognition.)
Fraternity Officers:
Fraternity Loyalty Award:
Fraternity Alumnae Achievement Award Recipients:
Washington & Jefferson College is a private liberal arts college in Washington, Pennsylvania, in the United States, which is 30 miles south of Pittsburgh. It is is one of America’s oldest and most distinguished co-ed, four-year liberal arts colleges for undergraduate students.
The college traces its origin to three log cabin colleges in Washington County established by three Presbyterian missionaries to the American frontier in the 1780s: John McMillan, Thaddeus Dod, and Joseph Smith. These early schools eventually grew into two competing academies and colleges, with Canonsburg Academy, later Jefferson College, located in Canonsburg and Washington Academy, later Washington College, in Washington. These two colleges merged in 1865 to form Washington & Jefferson College. The 60-acre campus, located in Washington, Pennsylvania, has more than 40 buildings, with the oldest dating to 1793. While the college has historically had a difficult relationship with the city of Washington, including clashes over college expansion and finances, recent efforts have been made to improve those relations.
During the 1860s, a state charter united Washington College with Jefferson College, which was located in nearby Canonsburg. Washington and Jefferson remained an all-male school until 1969, when the college authorized the granting of undergraduate degrees to women and inaugurated a new curriculum. The first undergraduate female students were admitted in September of 1970.
Contents
The Beginning
On April 7, 1984, Zeta Lambda Colony became Kappa’s 113th active chapter. Zeta Lambda’s Installation capped several months of exciting activity that began in the fall when Kappa accepted W&J’s invitation to colonize, joining Delta Gamma and Pi Beta Phi on campus. With a student body of approximately 1,000, including more than 400 women on campus, the college determined that a third sorority was needed. During the weekend of November 8–10, 1983, Kappa Kappa Gamma colonized Zeta Lambda at Washington and Jefferson College in Washington, Pennsylvania.
“We are very pleased that Kappa Kappa Gamma agreed to colonize here at W&J,” said the associate dean of students. “As we narrowed the field of prospective sororities, it became clear that Kappa’s fine national reputation was well deserved. KKG is a welcome addition to W&J’s Greek system and will offer yet another excellent alternative to our undergraduate women.” The warm welcome and unflagging assistance of W&J’s administration and Greek-letter organizations were outstanding. Panhellenic circulated publicity, helped sign up eligible upperclassmen, and assisted in many other ways.
Colonization Week
Colonization Week began with a well-attended open house at the Student Center. Kappa’s Extension Team, local alumnae, and a group of actives from Beta Upsilon, West Virginia, gathered to meet the 46 excited, curious students who had come to learn more about Kappa.
Refreshments were served by the alumnae, a slide presentation about the Fraternity was shown, and the Beta Upsilon actives sang several Kappa songs. The event was capped by an enthusiastic rendition of “Pat Said She,” which they taught to the W&J women.
As the open house ended and the assembled Kappas realized that every girl had signed up for an interview the next day, it was clear that the open house had been a resounding success. The Extension Team consisted of Marjorie Matson Converse, Purdue, Chairman of Extension; Jan Singleton McAllister, Mississippi, Director of Personnel; and many others.
For Zeta Lambda’s first preference party, the Student Center was decorated with flowers, candlelight, and white-clothed banquet tables. Cheesecake and coffee were served to the 26 girls, as well as the hungry colonization team, alumnae, and the Beta Upsilon actives, which again made the journey from Morgantown, W.Va. to conduct the colonization. Several songs were sung by the W. Va. actives, interspersed with readings about the meaning of Kappa.
As the girls filed out to make their important decision, they were clearly filled with excitement and anticipation. That excitement was certainly shared and possibly exceeded by the Kappa actives and alumnae who remained behind to await the results and prepare for the formal pledging ceremony.
The lights were dimmed and the 25 girls reentered the room and received their New Member pins in a lovely ceremony presided over by Jan McAllister.
Congratulatory wishes filled the air and, before the first New Member meeting, everyone ran to the Beta monument, a W&J Greek landmark, to sing several rousing verses of their first and already favorite Kappa song … Kappa Kappa Kappa Gamma, I’m so happy that I am a Kappa Kappa Kappa Gamma, Nobody knows … how happy I am!
Recruitment and Housing
The months between Colonization and Installation passed quickly. In February, the colony took part in formal Recruitment and gained 13 new members. With the able assistance of Fraternity officers, Field Representatives, Advisory, and House Board members and the installation chairman, the new colony thrived while alumnae raced against the clock to finish remodeling the new chapter house in time for Installation. Although owned by the college, the Zeta Lambda house was lovingly furnished by its House Board.
Installation
When the installation weekend arrived, 35 young women gathered at the Kappa House in a state of anticipation on Thursday as Fraternity officers from near and far began arriving. The new members enjoyed a dinner with the installing officers including Sally Moore Nitschke, Ohio State, Fraternity President; Jan Singleton McAllister, Mississippi, Director of Personnel, Marjorie Matson Converse, Purdue, Extension Chairman; and Marjorie Cross Bird, Colorado, Council Assistant, as well as local advisers and alumnae.
On Friday evening, actives from all over Beta Province joined the group for a lovely Fireside Service at the colonial home of a local alumna and House Board President. Punch and cookies were served and the Zeta Lambdas and guests later returned to the Kappa house where songs were sung. The girls shared their last-minute excitement with their active visitors from Beta Upsilon and Beta Province.
Saturday dawned chilly but clear and the girls had a short trip across the street to the Church of the Covenant where Initiation took place. The installing officers were assisted by the Chapter Council Adviser, the Advisory Board Chairman, and Field Secretaries as well as several Presidents of Beta Province chapters. Zeta Lambda’s President proudly accepted the charter on behalf of her newly-initiated sisters.
After a buffet luncheon in the church social hall provided by alumnae, the new Kappas and Fraternity officers moved to a meeting room in the church to conduct a model chapter meeting. Afterward, following a quick change of clothes, everyone gathered at the chapter house for a well-attended reception where family and friends gathered with members of W&J’s administration, faculty, and Greek community to congratulate the Zeta Lambdas.
On Saturday evening, almost 200 Kappas and their guests gathered at the George Washington Hotel for dinner. Toastmistress Marj Converse introduced the president of Beta Upsilon—West Virginia, who offered a toast to the new chapter. The Dean of Students and Associate Dean of Students and Panhellenic adviser spoke as representatives of the college and officially welcomed Kappa Kappa Gamma to Washington & Jefferson. The members of the advisory board were introduced, and Sally Nitschke welcomed the new chapter to the Fraternity.
One of the evening’s highlights occurred when the chapter President received a badge, a special key given by the Pittsburgh-South Hills Alumnae Association. The key is set in garnets to represent W&J. Many other special gifts to the new chapter were opened as well.
After the traditional closing ceremony, the tired but happy Zeta Lambdas drifted out of the hotel talking about dozens of memories that were already a part of their Kappa storehouse of dreams. Zeta Lambda’s Installation was over, but the excitement and sisterhood had just begun.
Highlights of the 1980s:
Zeta Lambda continued to grow and prosper at W&J throughout the remainder of the 1980s. In spring 1985 and again in fall 1985, a Chapter Consultant was assigned to Zeta Lambda to help the young chapter get on its feet.
Throughout the rest of the decade, the Kappa chapter at W&J continued to have success during Recruitment. Formal Recruitment was held every spring and Zeta Lambda added an average of 23-25 new members each year. The chapter also gained new Kappa sisters during a series of fall Recruitment periods.
The morale of members was kept high through the development of “Hoot ‘n Salutes” and other awards that were given to Zeta Lambdas at chapter meetings. The chapter also reached the goal of its “S.O.S.-Save Our Scholarship” initiative by improving scholarship. In order to advertise their presence on campus, and to have a little fun, Zeta Lambda participated in campus activities throughout the period such as the annual Greek Week celebration and often placed in competitive events. The chapter even created its own activity, Apache Relay, to challenge other members of the Greek community during W&J’s annual Carnival weekend. Other chapter traditions that were created in this period include the annual Kappa Krush semi-formal.
Housing:
During the 1980s, Zeta Lambda was housed in a historic home owned by the College but lovingly furnished by the House Board. Although the entire membership of Zeta Lambda was unable to live in the house together, the house on Beau Street remained the center of chapter activity.
Philanthropy:
Although a new chapter, Zeta Lambda placed an emphasis on chapter philanthropy. The women gathered donations for a variety of organizations, including Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh, through activities comprised of only chapter members as well as events pairing Kappas with another campus group. The Balloon Derby was held annually in order to raise money for Washington Youth Social Services. The Balloon Derby was discontinued in 1989 in favor of a campus-wide Twister game, a more environmentally-friendly way to support the community. Zeta Lambda was also a frequent participant in philanthropic events sponsored by other Greek organizations, such as Delta Gamma’s Anchor Splash. Chapter Convention Awards:
Highlights of the 1990s
Zeta Lambda began the 1990s as a strong chapter ready to lead Greek Life at W&J. The chapter excelled in Recruitment throughout the decade, averaging between 15-21 new members each year. The strong Recruitment numbers each year reflected the chapter’s hard work and the success the numerous Recruitment workshops held throughout the year.
Scholarship remained a top priority of the chapter, and through careful chapter programming and supportive sisters, the Kappas at W&J repeatedly ranked first on campus out of all Greek organizations. During this period, Zeta Lambda focused on strengthening the bonds of sisterhood within the chapter. Fun activities, such as Secret Santa and Secret Spooks, held during Christmas and Halloween, brought the sisters together. Eventually, the chapter could boast that they reached their goal of 75% member attendance of sister-only events held each month. Traditions such as the Sapphire Ball spring formal and Kappa Krush also gave the sisters the opportunity to bond and have fun together. Zeta Lambda also proved that sisterhood did not end of the school year as the chapter introduced a pen pal program that kept the W&J Kappas in touch with one another throughout the summer.
Zeta Lambda worked hard to forge strong relationships between the chapter and other Greek organizations on W&J’s campus. Throughout the 1990s, the Kappas held numerous events with other groups, including Monmouth Duo events with Pi Beta Phi and Kites and Keys with Kappa Alpha Theta. After Beta Province Meeting in 1999, Zeta Lambda challenged the W&J Greek community to consider the negative effects of hazing and work to eliminate hazing on campus through an anti-hazing program, Something of Value.
In 1994, Zeta Lambda celebrated its 10th anniversary as a chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma. By this time, the chapter began wearing its signature blue blazers, a tradition that remains to this day.
Housing:
During most of the 1990s, Zeta Lambda still operated out of the chapter house on Beau Street. When the Beta Province Meeting was held in Washington in 1993, the chapter and its House Board worked tirelessly to update the house by repainting the wood work and giving the entire building a thorough scrubbing. In 1994, the chapter was shocked by the collapsed of the house’s roof. Luckily, the disaster happened during Spring Break and no one was injured.
In addition to the original house, the chapter also used Dorm C for housing. Dorm C was located in the Quads, an area of campus housing dedicated to W&J’s fraternities and sororities. Zeta Lambda was eventually relocated to Dorm C in 1999. The sisters felt that, while it was difficult to adjust to life in a new house, living in the Quads was ideal because the chapter members could maintain a better relationship with members of the other fraternities and sororities on campus. Zeta Lambda faced the end of an era when the old house was demolished on Wednesday, July 28, 1999 at 5:45pm.
Bold textPhilanthropy:
The 1990s were a busy time for Zeta Lambda as the chapter undertook a number of philanthropic endeavors. In 1991, the chapter hosted a Fifties Dance at Southminster Nursing Home, and similar events became an annual occurrence for Zeta Lambda. The chapter also sent care boxes to soldiers fighting in the Persian Gulf in the early 1990s. Zeta Lambda participated in the March of Dimes, the Adopt-A-Highway program, and a local walk to raise money for the American Cancer Society, where, in 1995, the chapter was awarded Outstanding Group Attendance by W&J’s Panhellenic Council. Zeta Lambda also focused on giving back to the W&J community by distributing packets of information about sexual assault to fellow students.
Convention Awards:
1990: Most Improved Chapter; Membership-Runner-up
Highlights of 2000-2010
Zeta Lambda welcomed the 21st century by continuing to improve chapter life. Monthy sister-only events, as well as large chapter activities such as Kappa Krush and the Sapphire Ball, brought the members together and kept morale high. Zeta Lambda continued its tradition of academic excellence throughout the decade by implementing a variety of activities focused on helping sisters reach their individual academic goals. The efforts of the chapter paid off as Kappa’s G.P.A. remained one of the highest on campus.
Recruitment remained a top priority for Kappa, and the chapter introduced a variety of new and interesting Recruitment events such as Kappaccino and the S’mores party. Recruitment numbers were high throughout the decade, and the chapter had several large new member classes, especially in 2005 when Zeta Lambda welcomed 27 women to Kappa.
During this decade, Greek Life at W&J went through several changes and many old campus traditions, such as Carnival and the homecoming parade, were discontinued. However, Zeta Lambda continued to participate in Greek Life activities such as Greek Week and the Snowball Swirl, a formal dance sponsored by the Panhellenic Council in 2007. Kappa proved to be a true leader in the Greek community as several members served in leadership positions for a variety of Greek-centered organizations: W&J’s Panhellenic Council, Order of Omega, and Gamma Sigma Alpha. In 2000, 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008, a member of Zeta Lambda was chosen as Greek Woman of the Year by Order of Omega.
Special anniversaries did not go unobserved during this decade. In 2004, Zeta Lambda celebrated its 20th anniversary and, in 2009, the chapter commemorated 25 years as a chapter. Alumnae were invited back for the anniversaries to remember the fun times at W&J.
Housing:
Dorm C served as the chapter house for Zeta Lambda in the early portion of the decade. By then, the House Board had assisted the chapter women in decorating the common rooms and making them feel more like a home. In 2005, Greek Life at W&J changed drastically when the College constructed new houses for the fraternities and sororities along Chestnut Street at the edge of campus. Zeta Lambda was able to participate in the planning of the new houses and was allowed to choose the design of the house, paint and carpet colors, and the style of furniture.
At the beginning of the 2005-2006 school year, Kappa remained in Dorm C with half of the fraternities and sororities and waited for the new house to be finished. The other Greek organizations moved to the new houses, leaving W&J’s Greek Life torn in two for a semester. Finally, during Finals Week of the fall 2005 semester, Zeta Lambda packed up and moved to the brand-new house on Chestnut Street. The new house held 24 members and featured a President’s suite, chapter room, and study room, in addition to common areas found on the second and third levels. Because of the new space, Zeta Lambda was able to start holding Initiation and Recruitment events in the house.
Philanthropy:
Zeta Lambda continued its tradition of philanthropy in the 2000s and participated in a philanthropic activity each month. New events included the Jail and Bail fundraiser, where members of other Greek organizations were placed in a pretend “jail” until they were bailed out by their brothers and sisters. The chapter also regularly took part in philanthropies held by other fraternities and sororities, such as Delta Gamma’s Anchor Splash and Pi Beta Phi’s Singled Out, as well as events organized by the Panhellenic Council and Inter-Fraternity Council. In 2008, Zeta Lambda began to hold a large philanthropy event, a softball tournament to raise money for the Susan G. Komen Foundation. “Catch the Cure” annually attracts teams from across W&J’s campus and has become a huge success.
Convention Awards:
Highlights of 2011-2019
(From chapter’s History Report: Scholarship, group honors/awards, traditions, special events, changes on campus or within chapter, overall nature of the chapter, chapter goals, challenges and how they were overcome, etc.)
Highlights of 2012
The past year has been a period of growth to achieve chapter goals and to strengthen the bonds of lifelong friendships. The spring semester began with formal recruitment, February 9-12, when we welcomed 21 new members to our fraternity. The sisters bonded with the new members through chapter gatherings and sister only social events during our annual Inspiration Week, April 16-20, which led up to Initiation. All members, both new and old, wore various colors each day of the week to symbolize qualities of Kappa such as loyalty, sincerity, friendship, and beauty.
The first event was the “Blue & Blue Dinner” which was held in the house as a time to bond with all sisters while enjoying a lovely dinner. Tuesday was “Kappa Hearts and Poems”, where older sisters made their new key sister a heart that had a picture of them together on the front and a sisterly quote of their choice on the back. Wednesday, key sisters bonded over delicious Rita’s Italian Ice. Thursday, the Return of the Pledge Pin ceremony was held in the chapter room followed by a special surprise for the new members. Friday was Fireside, which was held at alumni Steph Kubric’s house. After fireside, the sisters stayed at the house and the older sisters prepared for Initiation. The next morning, Initiation was held in our house and 21 new members were finally welcomed as actual sisters into our fantastic fraternity.
Shortly after bid day, the new members continued to bond with each other and the older members by attending monthly sister only social events. A few months after bid day, in April, our annual spring formal took place. The theme of our formal was “A Night in Vegas”; the hall was decorated with confetti, playing cards, and chips. This social is very important to all members because it is the last formal with the current seniors before they graduated in May. Everyone treasured this social because it was the last time this particular chapter would be all together. The third date social was held in November of the fall semester, called Kappa Krush, with a theme of “Kappa has the Key to my Heart”. It was an amazing event to bring everyone together to celebrate a wonderful start to a new and successful school year.
Also, throughout the year, the sisters were encouraged to strengthen the bonds that bind us together by attending other important events. For example, after bid day in the spring semester, an annual sister only is held to teach the new members how to make their first letter shirts followed by the whole chapter attending brunch in the cafeteria; a tradition that takes place each year. All sisters and new members proudly wear their letters for all of the campus to see. Also in the spring is our annual Mother’s Day Brunch, which we have changed to be called the “Special Person’s Brunch”. It was changed so that sisters who would like to share this special day with another person other than their mothers can do so. A slide show was made to demonstrate to our special people what Kappa is all about, memories shared throughout the years, and how proud our chapter is to call ourselves Kappas.
In November, during Homecoming Weekend, we had a special alumni cookout. We invited alumni’s back to cookout with the current chapter, catch up with good conversation, and to show off our house. The cookout included hamburgers, hotdogs, soda, and various other treats while showing off our brand new furniture, various awards, and scrap books to all of the alumni that came back. This was a great opportunity to bond with our sisters who had come before us. Also during Homecoming weekend we were proud to have one Kappa up for the title of Homecoming queen, Miss Eva Pfeffer. Eva Pfeffer clinched the title, allowing Kappa to have bragging rights of having W&J’s homecoming queen for two consecutive years in a row. In December, the annual sister only was held to decorate the house for “Light Up Night”. Though our house did not win, we were still proud of the brightly strung lights, the frosty windows, and the beautifully decorated Christmas trees around the house. All the sisters worked together to make the house look merry and festive for the holiday season.
Throughout the semester, the sisters participated in numerous philanthropic activities within our own chapter as well as with the other fraternities and sororities on campus. Our largest philanthropic event was our 5th annual “Catch the Cure” baseball tournament, which helped raise awareness and money for breast cancer. All proceeds went towards the Susan G. Komen foundation. Overall, this was an amazing event that brought not only the Greek organization together, but the Washington and Jefferson community as a whole. A total of 19 teams filled Cameron Stadium to participate in our event. Guests enjoyed music, endless amounts of food, and competitive fun for a great cause. Once again all the sisters of Zeta Lambda were very excited and proud of how well our annual philanthropy event turned out; we raised a total of $5,028. We pride ourselves on this event and look forward to its arrival every year. In the fall semester, we participated in Pi beta Phi’s lip-synching contest, “Arrowbands”, in which we came in 2nd place of six fraternities. We also participated in Kappa Alpha Theta’s annual dodge ball tournament. In December, we ended the year attending various events such as Washington and Jefferson’s “Up Till Dawn” and the Big Brothers/Big Sisters holiday party. Kappa was ranked 2rd highest GPA in the fall semester for all female fraternities at Washington and Jefferson. Everyone was proud of our fraternity and our great achievements.
In addition to social and philanthropic events, Zeta Lambda has held recruitment events to meet potential new members. This year our recruitment chairman, Nicole Raupach, thought of new, creative events to meet the potential new members. The first event “Kappa Karnival” was held at our house, where the sisters could meet potential new members over carnival foods and games. With this being a new event, there was a great turnout of potential new members. The next event was “Kappa Kupcakes” which was held in October. All potential new members came to our house and decorated a cupcake that was previously made with pink icing and sprinkles for our breast cancer awareness month bake sale. The next day, we held a bake sale with the cupcakes the potential new members decorated and all of the proceeds went to the Susan G. Komen foundation. The event and bake sale were both very successful for our chapter. Our last two recruitment events include “Kappa and Co.”, which is a classy “Tiffany” themed event served with cheesecake bites, and “Christmas with the Kappas”, which could perhaps be our most fun event that included Christmas music, delicious Christmas cookies, and punch. Each event held by our chapter was very successful and helped us get to know potential new members and allow those potential new members to see how fabulous is it is to be a part of our fantastic chapter. All of the new events turned out fabulous.
This year we witnessed President Barack Obama get re-elected for a second term as the President of the United States. We also witnessed the natural disaster of Hurricane Sandy. Ashley Ayre, a current Kappa senior, placed a box in our house and asked for any type of donation to help out the victims. Ashley and her mother collected numerous items from our generous chapter and brought them to New York when they went on a trip to see a friend. Another catastrophic event we witnessed was the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School. This tragic event really made us realize to never take life for granted, always say I love you to the ones you love, and appreciate life everyday you are given. This brought our chapter closer together on a whole different level, if that is even possible.
CAMPUS AND CHAPTER PROFILE CAMPUS: Washington and Jefferson College is a small, private, liberal arts school with a main focus of academic excellence. The students of W&J are well-prepared for careers in business, medicine, law and a variety of other professions. The Greek community is an integral part of W&J with 40% of the student body actively participating in the Greek life on campus. The Greek community enables the students to be actively involved on campus and plays a central role in the philanthropic and social activities of the campus.
CHAPTER: Over the past year, Kappa Kappa Gamma has proved to be an essential part of the Greek community, as well as the W&J community. Our members pride themselves on being actively involved in a widespread assortment of sports, clubs, and activities. Our members are involved in everything from being captains of various athletic teams to being officers of service and academic fraternities. Not only does our chapter like to be involved in the activities on campus, but we also pride ourselves on our academic success and achievement. The Zeta Lambda chapter sets a positive example to all potential new members and the student body in general with numerous sisters whom achieve Dean’s List (semester GPA of 3.5 +) and Alpha/Beta scholars (who represent the top students at the college in terms of overall grade point average). By showing academic excellence to the college, a strong commitment to each other, and having well-established ties to the community, Kappa Kappa Gamma is an ideal example of Greek Life in our small community at Washington and Jefferson College.
CHAPTER CHALLENGES This year the Zeta Lambda chapter truly strives to make Kappa Kappa Gamma the leader of the Greek Community at Washington and Jefferson College. Although we pride ourselves on being outstanding Greek women, we also understand that there is always some room for improvement. Our main goal was to become more involved within the W&J community, as well as with other fraternities on campus. We accomplished this by discussing the issue among our fellow sisters and expressing how important it is to present to the Greek community a strong and united chapter. We made sure that a percentage of the chapter participated in every activity that was held by the college and by other fraternities on campus.
Another goal we focused on was maintaining a high GPA in the Greek community. This is an extremely important goal to each and every sister. We wanted to make sure that we showed other students, as well as the faculty that the members of Kappa Kappa Gamma are amazing students. As a way to show our appreciation to our professors and staff members, the sisters of Zeta Lambda elect one professor and one staff member every month to give the title “Professor of the Month” and “Staff member of the Month”, respectively. We pride ourselves on being the campus leaders and always strive to maintain and even surpass our academic goals. We strive to be leaders in not just the Greek community, but also in the athletic teams and clubs that we belong to. We feel that it is very important to set an example for others to respect and hopefully follow.
This has been an extremely wonderful year for the Zeta Lambda chapter and we are looking forward to the upcoming year and all of the fun-filled events and experiences it will bring to our chapter!
Highlights of 2014
The past year has been a period of growth to achieve chapter goals and to strengthen the bonds of lifelong friendship. The spring semester began with formal recruitment, February 6-8, when we welcomed 19 new members to our fraternity. The sisters bonded with the new members through chapter gatherings and sister only social events during our annual Inspiration Week, March 31-April 5, which led up to Initiation. All members, both new and old, wore various colors each day of the week to symbolize qualities of Kappa such as loyalty, sincerity, friendship, and beauty. The first event was the “Blue & Blue Dinner” which was held in the house as a time to bond with all sisters while enjoying a lovely dinner. Tuesday was “Kappa Hearts and Poems,” where older sisters made their new key sister a heart that had a picture of them together on the front and a sisterly quote of their choice on the back. Wednesday, key sisters bonded over delicious Rita’s Italian Ice. Thursday, the Return of the Pledge Pin ceremony was held in the chapter room followed by a special surprise for the new members. Friday was Fireside, which was held at alumni Steph Kubric’s house. After Fireside, the sisters stayed at the house and older sisters prepared for Initiation. The next morning, Initiation was held at our house and 19 new members were finally welcomed as actual sisters to our fantastic fraternity.
Shortly after bid day, the new members continued to bond with each other and the older members by attending monthly sister only events. A few months after bid day, in April, our annual spring formal took place. The theme of our formal was “Under the Sea”; the hall was decorated with cute painted fish and tropical colors. This social is very important to all members because it was the last formal with the current seniors before they graduated in May. Everyone treasured this social because it was the last time this particular chapter would all be together. The third date social was held in November in the fall semester, called Kappa Krush. It was an amazing event to bring everyone together to celebrate a wonderful start to a new and successful school year.
Also, throughout the year, the sisters were encouraged to strengthen the bonds that bind us together by attending other important events. For example, after bid day in the spring semester, an annual sister only is held to teach the new members how to make their first letter shirts followed by the whole chapter attending brunch in the cafeteria; a tradition each year. All sisters and new members proudly wear their letters for all of the campus to see. Also in the spring is our Mother’s Day Brunch, which we have changed to be called the “Special Person’s Brunch.” It was changed so that the sisters who would like to share this special day with another person other than their mothers can do so. A slide show was made to demonstrate to our special people what Kappa is all about, memories shared throughout the years, and how proud our chapter is to call ourselves Kappas. In October during homecoming weekend, we had a special alumni cookout. We invited alumni back to cook out with the current chapter, catch up with a good conversation, and to show off our house. The cookout included hamburgers, hotdogs, soda, and various other treats while showing off our brand new furniture and painted walls, various awards, and scrapbooks to all of the alumni that came back. This was a great opportunity to bond with our sisters who had come before us. In December, the annual sister only was held to decorate the house for “Light Up Night.” Though our house did not take first place, we were still proud of the brightly strung lights, the frosty windows, and the beautifully decorated Christmas trees around the house. All the sisters worked together to make the house look merry and festive for the holiday season.
Throughout the semester, the sisters participated in numerous philanthropic activities within our own chapter as well as with the other fraternities and sororities on campus. Our largest philanthropic event was our 7th annual “Catch the Cure” baseball tournament, which helped raise money and awareness for breast cancer. Some of the proceeds went towards the Susan G. Komen Foundation. The rest of the money we were able to donate to a sister’s aunt who is currently fighting breast cancer. Overall, this was an amazing event that brought not only the Greek organizations together, but the Washington and Jefferson and local community as a whole. A total of 22 teams filled Cameron Stadium to participate in our event. Guests enjoyed music, endless amounts of food, and competitive fun for a great cause. Once again all of the sisters of Zeta Lambda were very excited and proud of how well our annual philanthropy event turned out. We raised over $6,000. We pride ourselves on this event and look forward to its arrival every year. In the fall semester we participated in Pi Beta Phi’s lip-synching and dancing contest, “Arrowbands,” where we proudly took 2nd place. We also participated in Kappa Alpha Theta’s color run. Near the end of the fall semester we participated in various other events, such as the “B+ Dance Marathon,” where we stayed up until 3 AM painting faces and dancing to raise money for a local boy diagnosed with cancer.
In addition to social and philanthropic events, Zeta Lambda has held recruitment events to meet potential and new members. This year our recruitment chairman, Abigail Kunkel, thought of new and creative events to meet potential new members. The first event, “Kappa Kookout,” was held at our house, where the sisters could talk to potential new members over hamburgers and hotdogs. With the beautiful weather for this event, there was a great turnout of potential new members. The next event, “Kappa Kupcakes” was held in October. All potential new members came to our house and decorated cupcakes that were previously made with pink icing and sprinkles for our breast cancer awareness month bake sale. The following day, we held a bake sale with the cupcakes that were decorated at our event. All of the proceeds were donated to the Susan G. Komen Foundation. The event and bake sale were very successful for our chapter. Our last two recruitment events include “Kappa Karaoke,” which was a fun event held at Monticello’s with karaoke and milkshakes, and “Holidays with the Kappas,” which included Christmas music and cookies, punch, and Christmas decorations. Each event held by our chapter was very successful and helped us get to know potential new members and allowed them to see how fabulous it is to be a part of our fantastic chapter. All of the new events turned out wonderful.
This year we had one of our members, Anna Shaffner, bring Christmas cards for all of the sisters to fill out to send to the troops for the holidays. All of our sisters were able to fill out several and they were sent to the U.S. troops to make their holidays a little brighter. This small event brought us together as a chapter and we were thrilled to spread our joy with others.
CAMPUS: Washington and Jefferson College is a small, private liberal arts school with a main focus of academic excellence. The students of W&J are well-prepared for careers in business, medicine, law and a variety of other professions. The Greek community is an integral part of W&J with over 40% of the student body actively participating in the Greek life on campus. The Greek community enables the students to be actively involved on campus and plays a central role in the philanthropic and social events of the campus.
CHAPTER: Over the past year, Kappa Kappa Gamma has proved to be an essential part of the Greek community as well as the W&J community. Our members pride themselves on being actively involved in a widespread assortment of sports, clubs, and activities. Our members are involved in the activities on campus, but we also pride ourselves on our academic success and achievement. The Zeta Lambda chapter sets a positive example to all potential new members and the student body in general with numerous sisters whom achieve Dean’s List (semester GPA of 3.5+) and Alpha/Beta scholars (who represent the top students at the college in terms of overall grade point average). By showing academic excellence to the college, a strong commitment to each other, and having well-established ties to the community, Kappa Kappa Gamma is an ideal example of Greek Life in our small community at Washington and Jefferson College.
This year the Zeta Lambda chapter truly strived to make Kappa Kappa Gamma the leader of the Greek community at Washington and Jefferson College. Although we pride ourselves on being outstanding Greek women, we also understand that there is always some room for improvement. Our main goal was to become more involved within the W&J community, as well as with other fraternities on campus. We accomplished this by discussing the issue among our fellow sisters and expressing how important it is to present to the Greek community a strong and united chapter. We made sure that a percentage of the chapter participated in every activity that was held by the college and the other fraternities on campus.
Another goal we focused on was maintaining a high GPA in the Greek community. This is an extremely important goal to each and every sister. We wanted to make sure that we showed other students and faculty that the members of Kappa Kappa Gamma are amazing students. As a way to show our appreciation to our professors and staff members, the sisters of Zeta Lambda elect one professor and one staff member every month to give the title “Professor of the Month” and “Staff Member of the Month,” respectively. We pride ourselves on being the campus leaders and always strive to maintain and even surpass our academic goals. We strive to be leaders in not only the Greek community, but also in the athletic teams and clubs that we belong to. We feel that it is very important to set an example for others to respect and hopefully follow.
This has been an extremely wonderful year for the Zeta Lambda chapter and we are looking forward to the upcoming year and all of the fun-filled events and experiences it will bring to our chapter!
Unfortunately, none of our chapter’s officers wear historical badges. All of the chapter’s officers wear one badge, which is the golden key that every one of the women in our fraternity wears. All of our 64 current members proudly wear the golden key, with their initials and the date they were initiated on on the back of the key. We take immense pride in wearing the golden key.
Highlights of 2015
The past year has been a period of growth to achieve chapter goals and to strengthen the bonds of lifelong friendship. The spring semester began with formal recruitment, February 4-8, when we welcomed 16 new members to our fraternity. The sisters bonded with the new members through chapter gatherings and sister only social events during our annual Inspiration Week, April 20-25, which led up to Initiation. All members, both new and old, wore various colors each day of the week to symbolize qualities of Kappa such as loyalty, sincerity, friendship, and beauty. The first night of the week sisters bonded over delicious Sarris ice cream. Tuesday was “Kappa Hearts and Poems,” where older sisters made their new key sister a heart that had a picture of them together on the front and a sisterly quote of their choice on the back. Wednesday was the “Blue&Blue Dinner” which was held in the house as a time to bond with all sisters while enjoying a lovely dinner. Thursday, the Return of the Pledge Pin ceremony was held in the chapter room followed by a special surprise for the new members. Friday was Fireside, which was held at alumni Steph Kubric’s house. After Fireside, the sisters stayed at the house and older sisters prepared for Initiation. The next morning, Initiation was held at our house and 16 new members were finally welcomed as actual sisters to our fantastic fraternity.
Shortly after bid day, the new members continued to bond with each other and the older members by attending monthly sister only events. A few months after bid day, in April, our annual spring formal took place. The theme of our formal was “Masquerade”; the hall was decorated with masks and streamers. This social is very important to all members because it was the last formal with the current seniors before they graduated in May. Everyone treasured this social because it was the last time this particular chapter would all be together. The third date social was held in November in the fall semester, called Kappa Krush. It was an amazing event to bring everyone together to celebrate a wonderful start to a new and successful school year.
Also, throughout the year, the sisters were encouraged to strengthen the bonds that bind us together by attending other important events. For example, after bid day in the spring semester, an annual sister only is held to teach the new members how to make their first letter shirts followed by the whole chapter attending brunch in the cafeteria; a tradition each year. All sisters and new members proudly wear their letters for all of the campus to see. Also in the spring is our Mother’s Day Brunch, which we have changed to be called the “Special Person’s Brunch.” It was changed so that the sisters who would like to share this special day with another person other than their mothers can do so. A slide show was made to demonstrate to our special people what Kappa is all about, memories shared throughout the years, and how proud our chapter is to call ourselves Kappas. In October during homecoming weekend, we had a special alumni event. We invited alumni back to hang out with the current chapter, catch up with a good conversation, and to show off our house. The event included small snacks like fruit and pastries while showing off our various awards and scrapbooks to all the alumni who came back. This was a great opportunity to bond with our sisters who had come before us. In December the annual sister only was held to decorate the house for “Light Up Night.” All the sisters worked together to make the house look merry and festive for the holiday season. We also participated in the campus wide Holiday event where everyone on campus was invited to participate in a gingerbread house making contest, ugly sweater contest, ice skating, and many other activities.
Throughout the semester, the sisters participated in numerous philanthropic activities within our own chapter as well as with the other fraternities and sororities on campus. Our largest philanthropic event was our 8th annual “Catch the Cure” baseball tournament, which helped raise money and awareness for breast cancer. Overall, this was an amazing event that brought not only the Greek organizations together, but the Washington and Jefferson and local community as a whole. Guests enjoyed music, endless amounts of food, and competitive fun for a great cause. Once again all of the sisters of Zeta Lambda were very excited and proud of how well our annual philanthropy event turned out and we raised over $3,500! We pride ourselves on this event and look forward to its arrival every year. In the fall semester we participated in Pi Beta Phi’s lip-synching and dancing contest, “Arrowbands,” where we proudly took first place! We also participated in Kappa Alpha Theta’s color run. Near the end of the fall semester we participated in various other events, such as the “B+ Dance Marathon,” where we painted faces and danced to raise money and awareness for cancer.
In addition to the social and philanthropic events, Zeta Lambda has participated in several Panhellenic recruitment events on campus. Near the beginning of the semester, we participated in a bonfire where independent women could get more information about Greek life. We also participated in a pizza party, ice cream party, and hot chocolate party, all sponsored by Panhel. These events helped girls to meet potential members.
In the fall semester we began training at the local animal shelter in order to become more involved with the community. All of the girls received training in order to begin walking dogs and playing with cats at the shelter in the spring semester. All of the girls were very enthusiastic to work with the shelter and provide any help we could.
CAMPUS: Washington and Jefferson College is a small, private liberal arts school with a main focus of academic excellence. The students of W&J are well-prepared for careers in business, medicine, law and a variety of other professions. The Greek community is an integral part of W&J with over 40% of the student body actively participating in the Greek life on campus. The Greek community enables the students to be actively involved on campus and plays a central role in the philanthropic and social events of the campus. CHAPTER: Over the past year, Kappa Kappa Gamma has proved to be an essential part of the Greek community as well as the W&J community. Our members pride themselves on being actively involved in a widespread assortment of sports, clubs, and activities. Our members are involved in the activities on campus, but we also pride ourselves on our academic success and achievement. The Zeta Lambda chapter sets a positive example to all potential new members and the student body in general with numerous sisters whom achieve Dean’s List (semester GPA of 3.5+) and Alpha/Beta scholars (who represent the top students at the college in terms of overall grade point average). By showing academic excellence to the college, a strong commitment to each other, and having well-established ties to the community, Kappa Kappa Gamma is an ideal example of Greek Life in our small community at Washington and Jefferson College.
CHAPTER CHALLENGES: This year the Zeta Lambda chapter truly strived to make Kappa Kappa Gamma the leader of the Greek community at Washington and Jefferson College. Although we pride ourselves on being outstanding Greek women, we also understand that there is always some room for improvement. Our main goal was to become more involved within the W&J community, as well as with other fraternities on campus. We accomplished this by discussing the issue among our fellow sisters and expressing how important it is to present to the greek community a strong and united chapter. We made sure that a percentage of the chapter participated in every activity that was held by the college and the other fraternities on campus.
Another goal we focused on was maintaining a high GPA in the Greek community. This is an extremely important goal to each and every sister. We wanted to make sure that we showed other students and faculty that the members of Kappa Kappa Gamma are amazing students. As a ways to show our appreciation to our professors and staff member, the sisters of Zeta Lambda elect one professor and one staff member every month to give the title “Professor of the Month” and “Staff Member of the Month,” respectively. We pride ourselves on being the campus leader and always strive to maintain and even surpass our academic goals. We strive to be leader in not only the Greek community, but also in the athletic teams and clubs that we belong to. We feel that it is very important to set and example for others to respect and hopefully follow.
This has been an extremely wonderful year for the Zeta Lambda chapter and we are looking forward to the upcoming year and all of the fun-filled events and experiences it will bring to our chapter!
Highlights of 2020s:
(From chapter’s History Report: Scholarship, group honors/awards, traditions, special events, changes on campus or within chapter, overall nature of the chapter, chapter goals, challenges and how they were overcome, etc.)
Housing:
Philanthropy:
Convention Awards:
Note to Chapter Registrar: Please refer to your chapter archives including chapter meeting minutes and back issues of The Key to fill in any gaps in the above historical highlights. If your chapter archives are not complete, please research your university library, campus newspaper and yearbook archives for newsworthy information about your chapter. Please double check your work for accuracy. Contact chapter Advisory or House Board members, local Alumnae Association members, or your Province Director of Chapters for assistance.
Your efforts will ensure a complete and accurate history of your chapter for future generations to enjoy!
